July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Rules introduced for Redkey Council (07/20/07)
Redkey Town Council
By By ROBERT BANSER-
REDKEY - In an attempt to conduct meetings in a more orderly and efficient manner, a list of rules have been posted at the entrance of the town council chambers.
Council president Doug Stanley proposed the 10 rules of conduct at the start of Thursday night's council session.
"As long as I'm going to be sitting in this seat, this is the way it's going to be," Stanley said.
Introducing his prepared list of rules, Stanley said that he felt the past few council sessions had gotten out of control, even comparing them to a debacle.
Elected by the town council at the start of the year, Stanley said that the council president has the authority to introduce such rules.
The goal of the new rules will be to keep a tighter rein on how the meetings are run "to provide an efficient and productive meeting forum," Stanley said.
He added they are "not intended to discourage citizens from attending meetings and sharing in the meeting discussions. The council wants and needs citizen input."
Stanley said that in order to keep the meetings focused on the important issues facing the community of which Stanley said there were many, he felt the rules were necessary.
The list of rules includes:
•"Any citizen's concern or complaint involving a particular department shall first be discussed with the council member in charge of that department.
•"Failing to contact that council member the complainant may contact the council president.
•"Council members should make themselves familiar with subjects to be discussed prior to the meeting.
•"Council members and all others attending the meeting shall not be intoxicated.
•"Council members shall accept the final vote of the council without further discussion.
•"Council members and those attending the meeting shall conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner at all time during the meeting.
•"To avoid confusion and to insure that everyone has an opportunity to speak, council members and those attending the meeting shall be recognized by the president before speaking.
•"Any individual observed being abusive, discourteous or causing a disruption of the meeting proceedings may be asked to leave the meeting room."
After reading the list of rules, Stanley asked: "Any questions?"
Present in the audience at Thursday night's meeting was Redkey resident Charles Goetz, who had come to a previous council session to criticize the town police department. Neither Stanley nor town marshal Donnie James were present at that session, and Goetz was asked to return when they would be present.
However, after listening to Stanley's list of new rules, Goetz said that he no longer felt welcome, and walked out of the meeting.
Stanley added that he had talked to Goetz on Wednesday night, and was under the impression that Goetz was OK with the rules, but then added: "I guess he's not."
Stanley asked the council members who were present at Thursday's meeting how they felt. In attendance were Darrell Smith, Dixie Toy and Charles Noble.
"You were elected president, and I feel you're doing a good job," Smith said. Toy added that she felt Stanley was doing a good job, too. Noble offered no comments.[[In-content Ad]]REDKEY - Financial matters continue to be a primary focus of town council meetings here.
Redkey clerk-treasurer Sandy Kirby introduced several topics relating to finances at Thursday night's session.
One concerned transferring $11,852 from a variety of general fund accounts into a fund to pay for electricity for town buildings and street lights for the remainder of this year.
During budget deliberations last year, Redkey council members suggested turning every other street light in town off, as a cost-cutting move. They subsequently trimmed the line item for electricity expenses to cover the cost of street lighting and electric power needs in town buildings.
However, the required number of street lights were not turned off to make the plan work. Redkey has 177 street lights, Kirby said. The rates per street light vary, depending on the intensity of the lights, she added, but basically the overall charge per month for street lights is $1,600.
Council members unanimously approved the transfer resolution, but Kirby noted that town officials were still in the process of trying to trim costs relating to electricity - especially cutting back on the number and intensity of street lights wherever possible.
Kirby added that a new comprehensive street lighting map had been obtained from Indiana and Michigan Power Company, and town officials were in the process of reviewing it to see where cutbacks could be made.
Also Kirby said Thursday that she had prepared a new water shut-off policy and disconnect notice to try to make it clearer to residents that water service would be stopped if they were two payments behind in their bills. She said that in the past people have received a notice threatening to shut off water service if they are two payments behind, and then they only pay for one month thinking that will give them another month extension.
The new notice, as approved by council members Thursday, reads:
"Our records show your account is now delinquent. ... You must pay your delinquent billing and current billing ... or water service will be disconnected by ... If you do not pay both the (previous month's) billing and the (current) billing water service will be disconnected."
On a more positive financial note, Redkey town council president Doug Stanley reported that he had recently concluded a study about switching several town phone lines to cell phones which he felt would be more efficient and also save the town approximately $5,640 a year.
In making this change, some landlines would be eliminated and calling plans would be dropped from others.
Council members unanimously agreed to let Stanley proceed with these changes.
In other business Stanley noted that the date for a pandemic and disaster preparedness education program, sponsored by the American Red Cross and Jay County Health Department, in Redkey has been changed to Monday, Aug. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in Redkey Church of the Nazarene meeting hall, 110 E. Daugherty St., Redkey.
Council president Doug Stanley proposed the 10 rules of conduct at the start of Thursday night's council session.
"As long as I'm going to be sitting in this seat, this is the way it's going to be," Stanley said.
Introducing his prepared list of rules, Stanley said that he felt the past few council sessions had gotten out of control, even comparing them to a debacle.
Elected by the town council at the start of the year, Stanley said that the council president has the authority to introduce such rules.
The goal of the new rules will be to keep a tighter rein on how the meetings are run "to provide an efficient and productive meeting forum," Stanley said.
He added they are "not intended to discourage citizens from attending meetings and sharing in the meeting discussions. The council wants and needs citizen input."
Stanley said that in order to keep the meetings focused on the important issues facing the community of which Stanley said there were many, he felt the rules were necessary.
The list of rules includes:
•"Any citizen's concern or complaint involving a particular department shall first be discussed with the council member in charge of that department.
•"Failing to contact that council member the complainant may contact the council president.
•"Council members should make themselves familiar with subjects to be discussed prior to the meeting.
•"Council members and all others attending the meeting shall not be intoxicated.
•"Council members shall accept the final vote of the council without further discussion.
•"Council members and those attending the meeting shall conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner at all time during the meeting.
•"To avoid confusion and to insure that everyone has an opportunity to speak, council members and those attending the meeting shall be recognized by the president before speaking.
•"Any individual observed being abusive, discourteous or causing a disruption of the meeting proceedings may be asked to leave the meeting room."
After reading the list of rules, Stanley asked: "Any questions?"
Present in the audience at Thursday night's meeting was Redkey resident Charles Goetz, who had come to a previous council session to criticize the town police department. Neither Stanley nor town marshal Donnie James were present at that session, and Goetz was asked to return when they would be present.
However, after listening to Stanley's list of new rules, Goetz said that he no longer felt welcome, and walked out of the meeting.
Stanley added that he had talked to Goetz on Wednesday night, and was under the impression that Goetz was OK with the rules, but then added: "I guess he's not."
Stanley asked the council members who were present at Thursday's meeting how they felt. In attendance were Darrell Smith, Dixie Toy and Charles Noble.
"You were elected president, and I feel you're doing a good job," Smith said. Toy added that she felt Stanley was doing a good job, too. Noble offered no comments.[[In-content Ad]]REDKEY - Financial matters continue to be a primary focus of town council meetings here.
Redkey clerk-treasurer Sandy Kirby introduced several topics relating to finances at Thursday night's session.
One concerned transferring $11,852 from a variety of general fund accounts into a fund to pay for electricity for town buildings and street lights for the remainder of this year.
During budget deliberations last year, Redkey council members suggested turning every other street light in town off, as a cost-cutting move. They subsequently trimmed the line item for electricity expenses to cover the cost of street lighting and electric power needs in town buildings.
However, the required number of street lights were not turned off to make the plan work. Redkey has 177 street lights, Kirby said. The rates per street light vary, depending on the intensity of the lights, she added, but basically the overall charge per month for street lights is $1,600.
Council members unanimously approved the transfer resolution, but Kirby noted that town officials were still in the process of trying to trim costs relating to electricity - especially cutting back on the number and intensity of street lights wherever possible.
Kirby added that a new comprehensive street lighting map had been obtained from Indiana and Michigan Power Company, and town officials were in the process of reviewing it to see where cutbacks could be made.
Also Kirby said Thursday that she had prepared a new water shut-off policy and disconnect notice to try to make it clearer to residents that water service would be stopped if they were two payments behind in their bills. She said that in the past people have received a notice threatening to shut off water service if they are two payments behind, and then they only pay for one month thinking that will give them another month extension.
The new notice, as approved by council members Thursday, reads:
"Our records show your account is now delinquent. ... You must pay your delinquent billing and current billing ... or water service will be disconnected by ... If you do not pay both the (previous month's) billing and the (current) billing water service will be disconnected."
On a more positive financial note, Redkey town council president Doug Stanley reported that he had recently concluded a study about switching several town phone lines to cell phones which he felt would be more efficient and also save the town approximately $5,640 a year.
In making this change, some landlines would be eliminated and calling plans would be dropped from others.
Council members unanimously agreed to let Stanley proceed with these changes.
In other business Stanley noted that the date for a pandemic and disaster preparedness education program, sponsored by the American Red Cross and Jay County Health Department, in Redkey has been changed to Monday, Aug. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in Redkey Church of the Nazarene meeting hall, 110 E. Daugherty St., Redkey.
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